Wildlife officials are proposing a special hunting weekend for teenagers, an earlier start to the bow hunting season and a ban on killing young bucks in some regions under a new plan that will guide deer management in the state. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Wildlife officials are proposing a special hunting weekend for teenagers, an earlier start to the bow hunting season and a ban on killing young bucks in some regions under a new plan that will guide deer management in the state for the next five years. The head of the Department of Environmental Conservation's Bureau of Wildlife, Gordon Batcheller, says the draft Deer Management Plan was written after his agency held 20 public meetings around the state and surveyed hunters for their opinions on proposals. "We've had a deer management program for decades,'' Batcheller said. "But this is the first time we've had a document explaining the deer management plan in a single document in a comprehensive way.'' There's a stable population of about a million white-tailed deer in New York state, Batcheller said. Last year, about 230,000 were killed by hunters and 60,000 to 80,000 were killed on highways, he said. "Deer have a large impact on the landscape and society,'' Batcheller said Thursday. "In areas where they're overabundant they have an adverse effect on the ecosystem. They can completely eliminate the reproduction of trees by eating all the young saplings in a forest plot.'' Hunting is the most effective way to manage the deer population, Batcheller said. But the number of hunters has been declining, and the average age of hunters has been rising. As one way to recruit more young people into deer hunting, the plan proposes setting aside a weekend in early October for 14- to 16-year-old hunters mentored by experienced adults. That plan has some detractors. Chuck Parker, a retiree from northern New York who hunts in the Tug Hill region, said the big game youth hunting license is a great idea but a special youth weekend is unnecessary and would cut into field time for small game and waterfowl hunters because landowners commonly deny them access during the deer season. Parker, who is first vice president of the New York State Conservation Council, also opposes the DEC's proposal to open the bow hunting season in the southern zone on Oct. 1 rather than the current opening in mid-October. "Generally, bow hunters already enjoy a high-quality hunting time to be in the woods,'' said Parker, who's from Mexico, in Oswego County. "Giving them additional time will only lessen the opportunity of success for those that hunt during the regular gun season.'' Most controversial is the proposed mandatory ban on shooting young, spike-antlered bucks in a region in southeastern New York. Batcheller said there's "a growing interest'' in antler restrictions among many deer hunters. "It's a new way of managing the deer herd to create a more balanced sex ratio by leaving more bucks on the landscape,'' he said. "Advocates believe that the natural behaviors of deer are more pronounced when the age and sex ratios are more balanced. It also makes for larger deer and better hunting.'' New York has imposed antler restrictions in one area on an experimental basis, and the plan calls for expanding that area to get a better picture of the impact. Parker opposes mandatory restrictions, saying they'll reduce the chance for success for hunters who have limited time to hunt. Five resolutions supporting antler restrictions were soundly defeated at the Conservation Council's annual convention, he said. "There is no solid biological data that proves that antler restrictions improve deer quality,'' Parker said. "I don't shoot spike horns, but that's my choice. Someone else who pays the same amount for a license, you're asking him to pass up a deer, when it's not proven that it will improve the quality of the herd.'' Steve Wowelko, president of the Onondaga County Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, says he supports the idea of antler restriction, but he agrees with Parker that it should be voluntary. "As a sportsman, I'm always looking for ways to be more inclusive rather than exclusive,'' said Wowelko, of East Syracuse. "We need to bring more hunters in instead of limiting hunters' access to wildlife.'' Ray Gawlas, of Scotia, likes the idea of young people having an opportunity to hunt with a mentor before the regular gun season. "This was long overdue,'' he said. "New York state has been very negligent in providing opportunities to recruit younger hunters, particularly when there is an overabundance of deer in portions of the state.'' Public comments will be taken by the DEC through July 28. Batcheller said he hopes many people with a variety of interests look at the plan and comment. "It's certainly of interest to deer hunters, but it also talks about a lot of other things such as assessing deer impact on forests,'' he said. "We want to make sure deer are not permanently harming the forest ecosystem.''

State Lyme commission only lacks funds By Cynthia Mccormick cmccormick@capecodonline.com June 13, 2011 The creation of the state's first Lyme disease commission is all but a done deal. A budget amendment proposing creation of a commission to study the tick-borne illness has passed both the House and Senate. The commission becomes official once Gov. Deval Patrick signs off on the state's fiscal 2012 budget, which legislators expect to take place by the end of the month. The new fiscal year begins July 1. The commission will bring together experts in medicine, wildlife management, public health, and insect control, as well as patients and advocates, to come up with ways to prevent and treat the disease. Local advocates for people with Lyme disease say the commission is a positive development in advancing understanding of the illness, which was controversial even before it was first recognized in 1975. "There's hundreds of people who are sick, getting sick," and cannot find physicians who will treat them, said John Kenneway, a fisherman in Chatham. The medical community agrees on very little when it comes to diagnosing and treating Lyme, which is named after a town in Connecticut where it first drew public notice.   Every issue debatable The debates start right away, from how many doses of doxycycline to use in early stages to which laboratories are best for testing blood for evidence of antibodies indicating presence of the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Physicians disagree on whether late-stage Lyme even exists, although sufferers say it's debilitating. Kenneway said if he had been treated properly when he became ill in 1986, his Lyme disease might have been controlled. Instead, he said, it's created havoc with his immune system and caused neurological problems, muscle pain and physical weakness, among other symptoms. In its early stages, Lyme is more of a flulike illness, sometimes accompanied by a bull's eye rash. Advocates say the suffering caused by the tick-borne disease is particularly acute on the Cape and Islands, which has the highest incidence of Lyme per capita in the state. In 2009, the last year for which the state has figures, there were 4,028 newly diagnosed cases in Massachusetts, including 255 cases in Barnstable, Nantucket and Dukes counties.   Legislator's advocacy It took the advocacy of state Rep. David Linsky, D-Natick, chairman of the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, whose son has Lyme, to make the commission a reality, Richard Sylver of East Dennis said. "That's what it takes — somebody who has the disease or knows somebody who has the disease, to get this thing going," Sylver said. He is a founder of the Brewster Lyme Disease Support Group. As part of its work, the Lyme disease commission aims to educate the medical community and remove barriers to treatment. Members of the new commission will include representatives from medical camps with opposing views of treatment and chronic care, as well as members of the Legislature and municipal health officials. Also included will be representatives of the state Department of Public Health, the state Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, the state Laboratory Institute and the state epidemiologist. Four other members will be patients or family members of patients and members of Lyme disease organizations from across the state. "The more feedback from patients and those involved in the issues of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, the better," said Joanne Creel, a Lyme sufferer and activist from Yarmouthport. She said she hopes the commission includes representation from the Cape and Islands, which has one of the oldest Lyme disease task forces in the state. The commission is expected to report back to the state Legislature next year. "I think it's a step forward, pending administrative support and some funding," said Brenda Boleyn of the Cape and Islands Lyme Disease Task Force.  

When it comes to deer management, a one-to-one match-up is not necessarily the best thing going for either your herd, or your hunting. by Mark Kayser If you’re a do-it-yourself deer manager as most who hunt their own piece of ground are, one recurring theme that you’ve heard about is that a one-to-one buck-to-doe ratio is optimum. Managers of the most famous deer-hunting operations in the country sure push that notion, but is it always valid? One-to-One Ratio Argument There are two main arguments for the one-to-one buck-to-doe scenario. First, it can aid in maintaining a healthy herd. If a property holds too many does and fawns, the nutrition of the herd can suffer as a result of overbrowsing. By keeping the doe population in balance, the overall herd will benefit — ample browse for bucks might lead to better antler growth, under the right conditions. Does and fawns will also benefit, since healthy does birth healthier fawns, and are more likely to birth twins. More food throughout the year also means the deer won’t have to use all their fat reserves to make it through difficult periods of winter or drought. The second reason to work toward a one-to-one ratio is to increase hunting success. If bucks and does are present in fairly equal numbers, rutting activity should be much more pronounced during daylight hours. Bucks in more competitive situations cover a lot of ground looking for willing does. That increases the likelihood that they’ll be spotted by hunters. When One-To-One Isn’t Practical For effective herd management, the majority of the deer that use your property should also stay on your property. In most instances that means the property should consist of at least 500 acres, though many deer managers I’ve talked with actually place that figure higher, even as high as 5,000 acres. Needless to say, it takes a lot of land to keep deer close to home. If your property lacks the fundamental living requirements to keep deer happy, you can also expect them to leave — at least temporarily. Cover, food and water are necessary to hold deer, otherwise they’ll wander across your property and the neighbors’. You’re trying to follow the tenets of quality deer management — harvest more does and let bucks mature — but are your neighbors? It won’t help your management efforts if bucks that bed down on your property get picked off on adjoining land because that’s where they have to go to take advantage of food plots and the does that are attracted to them. It’s not always a bad thing to have a few extra does around. Whitetail expert and outfitter Cody Warne endorses the idea of having MORE does than bucks in the herd. He’s not against a one-to-one ratio under the right conditions, but having a surplus of does isn’t always a bad thing. Warne’s property lies in central South Dakota, where winters can be tough on deer when the snow piles up. “I don’t mind wintering extra does, says Warne, “because I know that if we do have a severe winter and I end up losing deer from winterkill, it’s the does that will be the key to my herd bouncing back fast.” Plant for Healthy Deer If you do decide that a one-to-one buck-to-doe ratio is right for you, be sure to provide the herd with ample amounts of the right feed. After sampling the soil, research the best food plot crops for the area, taking into account average temperatures and rainfall. If you choose clover, remember that the seed needs to be planted in low, moist areas. If you pick the right location, such as a lowland pasture, clover will reseed itself well for about four years. If you plant it in the wrong place, such as a hillside or in dry soils, it won’t last a season. Besides choosing the best growing location, be sure the food plot is in an area where wildlife will readily access it. Placing it in an open field or next to a busy road might deter wildlife from visiting it during legal shooting hours. Plant it where deer will feel secure. You probably live in an area where various types of grains and legumes will grow well. It almost goes without saying that you should plant forage that is universally appealing to wildlife — especially deer — during the longest period possible. Otherwise, choose a crop that is economical. Generally a mixture is better than a single crop, in case one seed variety should fail. Hunter’s Specialties Fall Mix (www.hunterspec.com) is a top example. It includes a mixture of plants with a range of protein from 27 to 35 percent. With the right food, the herd will prosper.

When I was a young man, there were two kinds of deer drives — those that worked, and those that didn’t. Now it's time to put a little more thought into it. by M.D. Johnson When I was a young man, there were two kinds of deer drives — those that worked, and those that didn’t. Here, the word worked translated into a deer or multiple deer in somebody’s truck at the conclusion of the drive. Simple as that. And as for the strategic aspects of these drives? Many I’ve been on were conducted from Point A to Point B simply because that’s the way they’ve always been done. Others involved large groups, yes literally, banging on pots and pans. Did these drives move deer? They sure as hell did; but did these same drives result in notched deer tags? To be honest — sometimes. All too often, drives like the ones above were successful purely by luck — a right time and right place kind of chance meeting. Conversely, many of these same drives ended in failure because (1) too much of the drive’s planning was based on tradition — “I’m going to stand by the oak cause that’s where I always stand,” says Uncle Ernie — or (2), attention wasn’t paid to the details. Deer drives can work; however, maybe it’s time to put a little more thought into those good old line-’em-up-and-have-at-’em runs through the timber, for as many an Old Man has told his young charge — old age and treachery will beat youth and enthusiasm every time. And trust me, consistently driving whitetails to the waiting gun is all about treachery. The Drive Master If the drivers are pawns and the standers knights, then the Drive Master is king. His word is law. If he says stand, you stand. If he tells you to wait 20 minutes, you don’t start moving in 15. And if he warns you not to shoot in that 75-degree arc, you don’t shoot. I don’t care how many inches the buck has atop his head; there’s a reason why the man said don’t shoot that way. The Drive Master’s primary responsibility is to ensure everyone’s safety. He does this by command, by command enforcement, and through his knowledge of the property being driven. True, he cannot physically be present when every trigger is pulled, nor should he have to be; however, his presence via direction and instruction should be omnipotent. Knowledge is key to the Drive Master’s effectiveness. His knowledge of the terrain allows him to organize the movement of the drivers and the placement of the standers. The coordination of transportation, too, is his responsibility, and he will typically assign vehicle drivers and drop-off/pick-up locations prior to each push. It’s vital the Drive Master possess leadership qualities, and then assume command of every aspect of every drive. Here, command entails delivering a concise pre-drive presentation. It doesn’t have to be formal, but complete instructions are important. Ideally, this talk will include a map, time for watches to be synchronized — NOTE: Timing is important to both success and safety — and an emphasis on compasses, even on short drives. Finally, command enforcement. The Drive Master must be willing to enforce his instructions, even if it means taking someone aside and speaking with them in private. Or, as I’ve seen happen in the past, removing them from the drive altogether. The Drives Because every situation is different, it’s impossible to state a hard-and-fast deer drive rule of thumb that applies to the physical how-to factor across the board; however, there are some guidelines that can and do apply regardless, and they can result in everyone involved seeing more deer and better bucks. 1. Appoint a Drive Master based on the profile above. 2. Don’t attempt to drive too large an area. Trying to work 100 acres with two standers and three drivers is usually an exercise in futility. Better, if your numbers are few, to cut a large block into smaller — perhaps 10 to 20 acres — sections, and work those slowly and thoroughly. 3. Go slow. Moving too quickly often frightens deer to the point where their escape routes become unpredictable or, as is often the case, forces the drivers past bucks that have learned the hunker-and-hide tactic. 4. Be quiet. Your mere presence in the timber is all that’s necessary to get most whitetails up and moving. An occasion thwack on a hickory with an old stick is okay, but leave the pots and pans back at camp. 5. Maintain a constant space between drivers, and adjust that space to the terrain. An even spacing between drivers is a safe spacing. As to adjusting the distance, 75 yards might be appropriate in the open timber while swampland might cut that to 75 feet. And while we’re at it, normal voices will suffice. No need to holler and scream (see #4). 6. Post standers based on their abilities. Is there an escape route that could present a 125-yard shot? If so, maybe the practiced hand with the scoped muzzleloader gets the nod there. Or, if it’s a short-range thicket crossing, then put the Foster-style slug man there. Here, the Drive Master needs to know not only the escape routes, but be able to match the shooting abilities of his standers to these routes. How? Pre-drive discussion.

How much is a deer worth? The answer to that question may have nothing to do with dollars and cents. by Keith Sutton What is the value of a deer? Thought about that when I ran across a news story about Texas deer breeders who paid $450,000 for a deer named Dream Buck. That’s correct: $450,000; almost half a million smackaroos for a deer. What made this white-tailed deer so dreamy were his antlers, which scored an astounding 301 3/8 points when this buck was four years old. Dream Buck was purchased for selective breeding to produce other big-racked deer. His owners had no problem recouping their investment by selling the deer’s semen to other breeders. Of course, deer like Dream Buck are as rare as 20-pound bass. The price paid for this animal was a record and in no way reflects the value of an ordinary deer pursued by an average hunter like you or me. Which leaves me still begging the question: What is the value of a deer? In centuries past, when deer hides and venison were common items of trade, those doing the trading knew quite well the value of a deer or part thereof. In 1718, for example, every frontiersman knew one tanned deerskin could be traded for one pound of black powder, 40 bullets or 20 flints. A rifle could be obtained for 25 deerskins, a pistol for 12, an ax for four, a coat for 12 and a blanket for six. Using the word “buck” as a synonym for “dollar” originated from these trading practices. Each skin originally was referred to as a buckskin, which later was shortened to just buck as in “A pound of black powder will cost you one buck.” Rarely was a buckskin worth a dollar, however. During the nineteenth century, U.S. prices ranged from 20 cents per pound to 75 cents per hide. Deer hides were made into clothing, rugs, wall covers, upholstery, bellows, harnessing, saddles, handbags, bookbinding and more. Venison also served as an important exchange medium. Prices ranged from a halfpenny per pound in 1831 to a high of about 30 cents per pound in the late 1870s. By the turn of the century, however, as citizens became less dependent on wild animal foods, venison prices had fallen to 8 to 15 cents per pound. Today, you’d get some funny looks if you threw 25 tanned deer hides up on the counter at the gun shop and asked for a rifle in return. And if you try selling wild venison, you’ll be a law violator. Nevertheless, we still find reasons to ask now and then, “What is the dollar value of a deer?” Fortunately for us, people have figured out exactly what that value is. For example, when studying economic losses resulting from deer/vehicle crashes, economists can’t compute bottom-line losses without first knowing the estimated value of each deer thus killed. So, someone in this group did all kinds of arithmetic and came up with the figure of $1,250. That is, one deer is worth, economically speaking, approximately $1,250. Other researchers disagree. They say the dollar value of a deer is twice this amount, even if the total is based on hunting expenditures alone. Therefore, depending on who you want to believe, one deer — the regular type and not big-antlered breeding stock like Dream Buck — has a dollar value somewhere between $1,250 and $2,500. That’s a big spread, so last season, I figured I’d do some economic research myself in hopes of pinpointing a more exact figure. I did this while deer hunting with sons Matt and Zach. My first computations were based on reasonable expenses incurred by the three of us while pursuing whitetails on a two-day hunt. Those expenses were: • Three refuge hunting permits: $60 • Motel room for two nights: $100 • Meals for two days: $115.70 • Travel expenses: $93.15 • Ammunition: $1.30 (for the one and only one round fired this trip) This totals $370.15. Our hunting trip produced one doe deer killed by Matt. This deer weighed 91 pounds on the hoof. It therefore cost us $4.06 a pound. Had Zach and I killed a deer, too (neither of us saw one that was legal), the cost per pound would have been considerably lower. Had the three of us traveled to Alberta, Canada, to hunt, the cost per pound would have risen exponentially. Can these cost-per-pound figures help you calculate the value of a deer? Of course not. I present them here just to show you how foolish it really is to try and come up with an accurate figure that shows the true economic value of a deer. In the end, however, a deer’s economic value is pretty meaningless to most of us anyway. Dollars and cents have nothing to do with the reasons we value deer and other wildlife so highly. I’ve decided to think of it like that old MasterCard commercial: All expenses-paid trip to your favorite deer hunting area: $370.15 Getting to spend some time in the deer woods with family and friends: Priceless! There are some things your bucks just can’t buy.               

SeeMeHunt. On September 9th to the 12th 2011, SeeMeHunt.com will Sponsor a Bow Hunt for Deer, Still in Velvet at the Double Deuce Outfitters in Kentucky.   Come Join us and spend a long weekend with other members of SeeMeHunt. This is a Semi-Guided hunt. It is $800 for the Hunt and Lodging. You are responsible for your own licensing ($200 for Out of State license), Food and transportation.   For further details you can email Derek Lloyd on SeeMeHunt.com   We look forward to Hunting with you.   Sincerely,   SeeMeHunt Management

Late Season Deer Hunting Tips Locate Deer Using Terrain Features Ken McBroom, Yahoo! Contributor Network Most deer hunters know how important rub lines are to locating bucks in a particular hunting area. Rubs have paid off for me over the years but over the past few seasons, after reading Mapping Trophy Bucks by Brad  Herndon, an excellent tool for your deer-hunting arsenal; I have come up with a new approach. Terrain features are easy enough to find, features such as funnels, saddles, points and hubs. You can find success hunting these features even if there is little or no deer sign within them, especially on public land with lots of pressure which tends to stir up the herd and forces them to utilize these features to escape potential danger. Hunting terrain features this way works well and should be utilized but this article will focus on the combination of terrain features and rub lines.I have had success with hunting terrain features alone but the lack of confidence in the area always made it difficult to stay on stand the entire day, which becomes a necessity when hunting any part of the rut. To gain the confidence I needed to keep my butt in a tree I needed the definite knowledge that there was a good buck in the area. This is when I began combining terrain features with rub lines and big rubs.The area I hunt is a good mixture of hardwoods, swamps and cutovers with lots of ridges as well as croplands. Over the past several seasons I have located great terrain features that tend to funnel deer through the area providing for some great hunting. In the past couple seasons I have began to scout these terrain features for rubs.You should begin your scouting early in an attempt to locate the first rubs of the season. Mature bucks almost always make these rubs. I don't mean those barely visible rubs in August and early September. These rubs are often just where a buck (of any size) was just cleaning the velvet off his rack. The rubs you should look for is good rubs like you find in November. When you locate good rubs in Mid September to Mid October mark the spot and/or hang a stand because you are in the living room of a mature buck. These rubs are not easy to locate, as they are few and far between not to mention the foliage is still thick and visibility is limited in the woods.These scouting trips are for the serious hunter who wants to harvest a good mature Whitetail buck. The heat can be unbearable this time of year in the south and while the chiggers and ticks keep most hunters out of the woods the snakes tend to keep out the rest. A friend of mine had to go to the emergency room shortly after one such scouting trip as the seed ticks had covered many delicate parts of his body. He still scouts year round although he is very cautious and sometimes feels imaginary ticks crawling all over him.The trick, after locating these rubs, is to align them within areas of the terrain features already noted. The rubs and rub line do not necessarily have to be in the middle of the terrain feature you are hunting just nearby. In fact I prefer the sign to be away from the terrain feature that links the area where the rubs are and the area where the buck that made them is likely to bed during the day.Rubs, I have found, can be a double edge sword for the deer hunter. Your initial reaction to a shredded six-inch cedar is to get up a tree and hunt within sight of that rub. Sometimes this works but most times the hunter should try to locate the area that the buck is likely spending his day. If the rub is in the wide open next to a field or in a stand of mature hardwoods, where you can see a mile, then that buck is likely to be visiting those rubs at night and a sighting during good shooting light is not likely. Now, having said all that, I have found, through hours of sitting by a rub line in the open not expecting to see anything only to have several bucks come by and more times than not the biggest buck moves later in the morning like ten to noon. Hence the double edge sword. Do you hunt at the rub or move back and locate a terrain feature that funnels the buck by your stand area as he moves either to the rubs or from the rubs.Paying close attention to terrain features can help you see more deer but the great thing I have noticed since using this technique is that I look more at the big picture and focus more on the deer's habitat than just on where I find the sign. Many years ago I felt like I was hunting areas that even though covered up with buck sign was just not the right spot but I continued hunting these areas because I was seeing deer. These deer were does and young bucks but it kept my confidence level up enough to hunt all day and hopefully get a shot at a good buck.Finally the decision was made to just tough it out and hunt where I thought the bigger bucks were hiding. I located the most remote areas of the public land that I hunted and began hunting terrain features that had some low browse and acorns but no deer sign at all or at least not any that I could detect. Ironically the very first time I tried this I had a decent six point meander by my tree well before dark which was very unusual at my old stands even for a small buck. Needless to say after many hours on stand and fine tuning this technique, to include rubs, my buck sightings has more than doubled and just as I suspected but was too caught up in all those tracks and rubs and scrapes down by the fields, I see very few does now and even though I like seeing deer activity I would much rather see the horns.I will describe a scenario of one of my hunts this season that might help you see the possible advantages to this approach.A lake surrounds my hunting area on three sides. I like to find two or three coves fairly close together. These coves form peninsulas where deer bed and feed depending on what is located on these peninsulas. Ideally I prefer at least one peninsula that contains some thickets for potential beds and remember it need only be big enough for one deer if you are hunting big bucks. A lone brush pile left by a storm can be enough of a bed for these loners.I had located some big rubs all the way out one of the peninsulas where there was no food at all and it was fairly open so I figured the buck must be making his rounds there under the cover of darkness but he has to get there. Now comes the decision on where to set up for your ambush. The peninsula with the cover is where I felt the buck was spending his days so you don't want to get too close to that area but close enough to get a shot during the day as the buck leaves his bed to patrol his area which may or may not include the third peninsula, between these two, which consisted of very open hardwoods and lots of acorns so it very well could be where he feeds but again probably at night so you want to be setting at the entrance to this peninsula. So I set my stand between the bed and the rubs and at the end of the peninsula with the acorns with the lake in sight of my stand. Now if the buck decides to leave his bed and check out his territory I have it covered because the rubs tell me that he prefers that area and gives me a direction I can have confidence the buck is traveling. If I am wrong I have enough visual coverage of the area to determine if the buck is coming from another direction. It really helps when you have a rub line connecting all the peninsulas, which is what I had in this location.This particular stand site provided many buck sightings. Most were not shooters but one was. It took three days at this stand before he showed himself at 9:45 am on a hot windy morning. I nearly departed my perch several times that morning as the thoughts that deer won't move in this hot (in the 60's) and windy weather. The deer sightings were spaced apart enough to keep me on stand and it's a good thing as the buck was the biggest I had ever seen in 15 years while hunting this area. He did give me a glimmer of a shot but he was about 48 yards and I felt like he might come a little closer but he continued, to my surprise, right down the shoreline in the wide open. I just was not comfortable with a 48-yard shot with my bow and I let him walk. Goes to show, you never know. These rubs are marked in memory as well as GPS for future reference so I can set-up here year after year with confidence especially if that big eight pointer makes it through this season. You can bet he will be there and so will I.The rubs helped with the decision on this set-up but many times the rubs don't show until late in the season. I saw several bucks at this stand sight and many would be a shooter for most. These bucks came from every direction, as they seemed to use the terrain feature as a guide for their travel as they investigate their area for food cover or most importantly hot does. These bucks will travel out these peninsulas to search for does and as they leave that peninsula the natural path to the next is around the back of the cove that created these peninsulas. The backs of these coves usually contain a creek or drainage that usually provides great bedding areas for does which is another reason for the bucks to cruise through here on his way to the next big peninsula in his quest for love. So get out there and do some early season scouting. Look for early rubs and make a note then look at the big picture and try to imagine where these deer are traveling and put together a plan. Locate the terrain features that tend to funnel deer movement into a confined area and you just might fill your tag early. Later in the season cautiously scout these locations and some new ones for active and aggressive rubs. Put it all together and you just might find that this tactic really works and don't be surprised if buck sightings increase. This approach to hunting may not be for everyone. It took me several seasons to stay away from all the sign and focus more on where bucks like to hang during the day, which is not with the does that tend to make the more visible sign we see around fields and logging roads.Some hunters, even if you proved this method to them would still prefer to hunt where they can see a lot of territory and a lot of deer even if they are does and yearling bucks and even with a bow. I do understand and to each his own but if you want to get serious about bagging a good buck, especially with a bow, then try this approach. Give it time as this method takes some time to learn and begin to see the whole picture in your woods and put together a successful plan to harvest a mature whitetail buck.

86-year-old Pa. man hunts from recliner, bags buck By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press Posted: 12/07/2010 04:49:01 PM EST   ALLENTOWN, Pa.—Lester Warner left the hospital in a weakened state last month, his frail body wracked by late-stage cancer. At 86 years old, he and his family had decided to stop treatment. But that didn't mean he planned to stop hunting. Pennsylvania's highly anticipated two-week rifle deer season was fast approaching, and the lifelong hunter from Dover Township, about 30 miles south of Harrisburg, wanted to take to the woods one last time. "He just assumed he would be going. We decided we were going to play along with it: 'Yeah, we can't wait for hunting season, Dad,'" recalled Warner's son, Brian. Brian and his brother Scott were skeptical. But when their father started to rally—gaining strength with the help of a physical therapist—they decided they had better accommodate him, said Brian, 51. So Brian lugged an old recliner up the side of Broadtop Mountain, near his Huntingdon County dairy farm, to the small hut the family had built for Les Warner years ago. His father would hunt in comfort. It was 19 degrees as the sun rose on opening day last week, the valley floor white with frost. Warner eased his old man's frame into the recliner, sipped his coffee, and waited, armed with the .243 Winchester that Brian had selected for its mild recoil. It wasn't long before a huge 8-point buck emerged from the woods, the biggest that Warner or his son had ever had the opportunity to take. They marveled at their good fortune. A hunter can go days without seeing a buck. "Well, shoot it," Warner told Brian. "No, you're gonna shoot it," his son replied. Warner stood up from the recliner and took aim. The buck bolted. He followed it for 80 or 90 yards. Then, as it slowed down, he pulled the trigger. A perfect shot. Lowering the gun, Warner turned to his son and said: "Never give up." "That's right, Dad." Brian called his mother. Shirley Warner could scarcely believe it. "Knowing what he's been through in the last six months, in and out of the hospital, radiation and chemo and physical therapy and really sick at times, I was shocked. In my wildest dreams I didn't think he would get a buck this year," said Shirley, who's been married to Les for 53 years. "My son and I cried because it was a miracle ... there's no other explanation." A week later, the retired pretzel baker remains thankful. "I know I've had many blessings through this situation," said Les Warner, whose story was first reported by the York Daily Record. "Everything seems to be turning out well for me, and I know the Lord's been with us."

Understanding Buck Rubs Hunters have long used the size, location and number of buck rubs to select hunting locations and to help understand how bucks move throughout their property. by Brian Murphy The Study The study was spearheaded by wildlife consultant Bryan Kinkel on a 488-acre property in west-central Tennessee. The property is best described as a Ridge and Valley system featuring long, narrow, hardwood ridges separated by steep, narrow valleys containing food plots and old fields. The study took place over a 10-year period from the winter of 1995 to the winter of 2004. The first step of the project involved classifying the habitat into one of several categories. The defining lines between categories were classified as habitat edges. To produce rub sampling areas, long transit lines were randomly placed across the landscape. Rub data were collected by walking each transit line and recording the number of rubs within 10 meters of the transit line. Each rub was classified by the habitat type in which it was located and the distance of the rub to the nearest habitat edge was recorded. All sampling was conducted in late winter after the majority of rubbing had concluded. It's All About Edge The results of the study revealed strong relationships between habitat edges and rub densities. Kinkel's research revealed that the highest rub densities (27.9 rubs per acre) occurred within a narrow strip within 5 meters of habitat edges. Rub densities declined with distance from habitat edges, with the strips 5 to 10 meters from habitat edges averaging 17.0 rubs per acre and the strips 10 to 20 meters from habitat edges averaging 7.7 rubs per acre. The "edge effect" appeared to end approximately 20 meters from habitat edges, as rub densities averaged 1.8 rubs per acre beyond this distance. In addition to habitat edges, other linear features such as roads and creeks were analyzed (see Figure 1). Both roads and creeks displayed some "edge effect," but not nearly as strong as habitat edges, with the exception of old, abandoned log-skidder trails. Rub densities averaged 12.4 rubs per acre within 5 meters of these trails and 5.5 rubs per acre within 5 to 10 meters of these trails. The data also suggested that the less a road is used and maintained by people, the more often it is incorporated into a buck's travel patterns. However, no matter the habitat type, rub densities were much higher within 20 meters of the outer edge of each habitat type or near linear features such as skidder trails. In fact, some habitat types displayed nearly 15-fold increases in rub densities in the 20-meter zone bordering the outer edge of the habitat or paralleling other linear features (see Figure 2). This suggests bucks are using these habitat edges as travel corridors or concentrated activity areas. Topography and Deer Rubs   The influence of topography on buck rubbing also was examined. Kinkel and his research team classified the study area into one of five categories: Hillsides, Ridges, Valleys, Primary Points and Secondary Points. The tops of ridgelines and level upland plateau regions were classified as Ridges. Narrow valleys or level bottomland areas were classified as Valleys. The slopes off ridgelines or plateaus to where valleys or bottomlands began were classified as Hillsides. However, two types of slopes received unique classifications. Topographic points that were terminal ends of ridgelines were classified as Primary Points, and small topographic points that descended from the side of a ridgelines or upland plateau areas were classified as Secondary Points (refer to the map on this page). When the researchers analyzed the relationship between rub densities and topography they found that two terrain features—Valleys and Secondary Points—displayed significantly higher rub densities. Both had rub densities 250 to 300 percent higher than the other three topographic features. While unsure exactly why these features were used so heavily, they discovered a strong correlation between good cover and rub densities associated with valleys. Where valleys contained good cover, rub densities were high. However where valley cover was lacking, such as in open hardwood forests, rub densities were low. In fact, cover habitat located in valleys and bottomlands displayed considerably higher rub densities than the same habitat located on other topographic features. They speculated that the reason Secondary Points were used more for buck rubbing activity likely was due to bucks using these slowly descending points as "ramps" for easy access between valleys and uplands. When the effects of 20-meter "edge zones" were analyzed for topography, all topographic features displayed large increases in rub densities. The already higher rub densities for Secondary Points and Valleys were increased dramatically when edge zones were present (refer to Figure 3). Hunting Implications As bowhunters, you realize that hunting the edges of large food sources such as food plots or stands of oak trees can be frustrating because deer can enter or exit these areas at numerous points out of bow range. However, using the results of this study to fine-tune your hunting setups can greatly increase your odds of hanging a tag on a mature buck this fall. According to Kinkel, "One of the best hunting locations is a valley or bottomland food source with habitat edges running from adjacent uplands down descending secondary points and intersecting with the food source. Hunting habitat edges that run from thick cover in valleys/bottomlands up the spine of secondary points to a ridge-top/upland food plot also can be very productive. And, don't overlook those seldom-used, unmaintained roads." In addition to helping locate the best hunting locations on a property, the results of this study also can be used to better distribute hunting pressure. A common mistake by hunters is over-hunting a handful of areas while avoiding others altogether. Savvy hunters realize that mature bucks are extremely sensitive to hunting pressure and will quickly learn to avoid those locations during daylight hours. Identifying numerous hot spots scattered throughout the property can greatly increase hunting success. Thankfully, armed with the latest "Whitetail Science," researchers and hunters alike continue to learn more about North America's most-hunted and most-important game animal—the white-tailed deer.

A lot of hunters build their rut-time strategies on long-held, but faulty beliefs. To fill your tag this November, first you'll want to separate fact from fiction. 10 Rut Lies Debunked By Doug Howlett     Belief: The peak of the rut is the best time to hunt. Reality Check: As far as I'm concerned, the peak of the rut actually kind of sucks. It's the pre-rut, that week to 10 days before the rut peaks, that most hunters think of when they describe deer charging around the woods like crazy in search of estrus does and getting careless. And that is when you want to be on a stand as much as you possibly can. While you will still find some decent bucks roaming about in search of a hot doe during the peak, the big boys will be on lockdown at that point, typically already with a doe ready to be bred and not moving unless she does. Belief: It's too hot for deer to rut. Reality Check: While a good blast of cold will usually put deer on their feet more during the day as the rut kicks in and consecutive days of soaring mercury can make it appear to shut down, the truth is, deer in a particular area are going to breed at roughly the same time every year regardless of what the weatherman delivers. Biologist after biologist will confirm this. Hot weather may force rut-weary bucks to chase and seek more at night than during the day, meaning hunters won't see them moving as much and mistake the lack of activity for a shut-down rut, but the fact remains: It's still going on. Hot weather won't force the rut to start weeks later or, as I've heard some hunters suggest, not take place at all any more than prematurely cold weather would kick in the rut a week or more early. If you have a good feel for when the rut typically kicks in year after year, that's when you want to be on a stand, regardless of what the weather is doing. Belief: The full moon affects the timing of the rut. Reality Check: Here's another one that almost every hunter has a theory on, but again, the science just isn't there to support it. Famed wildlife biologist Mick Hellickson says that while a number of hunters and scientists have examined the issue, no definitive relationship has been found between the moon and the timing of the rut. That doesn't mean a full moon doesn't affect deer activity in general. M.A.D. Calls founder and outdoor television producer Mark Drury says that while he can't say why, he has observed a definite increase in deer movement on both sides of a full moon. He says afternoon hunts are a top bet during the 10 days leading up to a full moon, then mornings appear to be best in the 10 days after a full moon. For my own part, I like midday hunts when a moon is full, choosing to sit a stand back in the woods, preferably along an edge of old-growth and new-growth stands of timber. Belief: Hang your stand over a fresh scrape, and odds are good you'll kill a buck coming to check it. Reality Check: I've seen guys scout the woods, find a single big, fresh scrape and hang their stand 20 yards away, positive the big boy is going to pop by to check it that evening or the next morning. And sure, it does happen, but not regularly. Odds are that when the buck does show, it will be in the dark. In fact, one Georgia study found that 85 percent of buck visits to active scrapes two to three weeks prior to the rut occurred at night, and as many as 50 percent of the bucks only visited a scrape once and were not seen again. Rather than focus on a single scrape (and definitely not a single rub), look for areas where there are a number of scrapes and a good line of clean rubs indicating frequent buck traffic. Hang a trail cam near the biggest, freshest scrape; analyze the photos to determine what time and which bucks visit it; look at an aerial photo of the surrounding land and figure out where to set up ambushes along funnels and well-worn deer trails that lead into the area. Focus on rub lines and scrapes made in thick cover and near a good bedding area; they are more likely to be visited during shooting hours. Put less emphasis on scrapes along field edges and more on trails entering the open areas. Belief: Big scrapes and rubs are made by big deer. Reality Check: The truth is, a scrape as big around as a truck tire could've been made by a hopped-up six-pointer just as well as it could be made by a 12-pointer. Different bucks will visit and scrape in the same spot, which can make it larger over time. On the other hand, rubs on really big trees are a fair indication that they were made by a large buck. Again, focus on areas with multiple big scrapes and big rubs either in a cluster, indicating a possible staging area before the buck moves off to feed or look for does in the evening, or in a discernible line, indicating the direction of travel of the bucks rubbing in the area.   Belief: Rutting activity is constant during the rut. Reality Check: While we'd love to trust in a magic switch, triggered by the shortening day, that sets all bucks in motion to breed and thus start rutting over the same span of time, the truth is that the rut progresses much like the crowd in a college bar gathers during Dollar Draft night. At the bar, you have your handful of young, eager male students who show up well before the women in order to capitalize on the special pricing. Over a short time, the crowd grows, with the co-eds eagerly socializing and the cooler, more dialed-in dudes (usually already with their girl in tow) showing up to hang out and make an appearance. And then, as the night winds down, the bouncers almost always have to force out the door a small band of stragglers who don't want the night to end. Deer are the same, with some bucks chasing and some does going into estrus earlier, while the bulk of the deer will begin breeding activity days, even weeks later, with most of them overlapping each other until the activity begins to die out. Think of it as a bell curve, and if you plan on taking vacation days, you want to pinpoint when the top of the curve will take place so you are in the woods at that time. As for the second rut that occurs roughly a month after the first--well, that's more like the after-hours club for those who didn't quite get enough earlier. And just like the after-hours club, it's usually hard to find and in most places not really worth the effort. Belief: The rut makes big deer careless. I don't have to be as cautious. Reality Check: I've seen hunters who were diligent about controlling scent and taking all kinds of precautions to minimize their presence in the woods during bow season abandon those same worries once gun season (and usually the rut) came into full swing. Their reasoning: I can shoot farther, and the deer are running around and not paying attention to anything but chasing does. It's true, bucks do get more reckless and are more apt to make a mistake pursuing does in brood daylight, but remember, big deer didn't get that way by being stupid. Their nose is still always on alert, as are their eyes, for anything out of place. Those does that are nearby also act as sentries and are usually the first to detect something, since they're leading the boys around. Don't leave anything to chance. Maintain your regimen of keeping still, quiet and scent-free at all times during deer season. Belief: Heavy antlers and the deepest-sounding grunt tubes will attract the biggest deer. Reality Check: I hear this from a lot of well-known hunters who work in the hunting industry and hunt so many quality places that they can be choosy and seek only the biggest deer a property has to offer. While every one of us who deer hunts would love to kill a record-book buck, I'm willing to bet that there's just as many who would be happy to kill an eight- or 10-pointer in the 130s or even 120s, particularly when in many places the odds of killing something much larger may not be good all season. For bucks like this, super-deep grunts and heavy, smashing antlers can intimidate as much as entice. I've seen bucks that looked big enough to whip anything in the woods turn tail and run at the first crash of antlers. To be sure, you want to challenge big bucks--enter the octagon, so to speak--but you want to sound like you can be whipped, too. Be big, but not too big. Think more Clint Eastwood than Kimbo Slice. Belief: That big buck you scouted on your land in September will definitely be around when the rut rolls in. Reality Check: A buck's summer range can differ drastically as the rut kicks in, expanding from an average of 600 acres to as much as 4,000, with some radio-collared bucks roaming an average of 10 miles a day--most of it at night. That means if you're hunting a 200-acre tract, the whopper you saw in your September soybean field could be well off your land for much of the rut. Some reasons for this dispersal include where a buck lines up in the order of dominance, food and the number of does in an area. This is probably the best argument for maintaining quality food plots. By doing so, you'll keep does on the land, and the bucks will be right there with them. Want some good news? Bucks will range from other properties onto yours as well. If you start catching a sudden influx of never-before-seen bucks on your trail cameras or observing them in the field, get in the woods, because it is game on. Belief: Hunting pressure during the rut will make it almost impossible to kill a nice deer. Reality Check: It seems in most places that just as the rut is kicking in, gun seasons open up, too, bringing a sudden influx of hunters into the woods. If you hunt a lease with other hunters or with a club, you know what I mean. The three or four guys who had the place to themselves in October are now fighting to get to the hot spots before another dozen guys and gals do. But don't let this pressure discourage you. Use it to your advantage, as all of these pumpkin-colored folks walking about are sure to push some big boys from hiding at any time of the day. Identify where most of your fellow hunters like to hunt--many will hit the same stands day in and day out--and figure out from which direction and at what time they generally approach. Then position yourself along likely escape routes and funnels with heavy cover, and be there before and after the other hunters typically move. Hunting pressure can actually be a good thing at a time when an abundance of shooting would otherwise force racked monsters to sit tight until dark.